RCMP arrest alleged Charlottetown child pornographer again on new charges
Dylan Kurt Macdonald also has a history of working with children, CBC News has learned
A Prince Edward Island man accused of making child sex abuse material and sexually touching a person under 16 is in jail after police say he violated the terms of his release — allegedly by contacting young people he should not have been talking to.
Dylan Kurt Macdonald, 30, is already facing four charges in P.E.I. Supreme Court related to his child pornography case.
The Charlottetown man was arrested in February but later released with conditions so he could live in the community while his case made its way through the courts.
But on Friday, RCMP again arrested Macdonald and charged him with four counts of breaching his undertaking, along with a weapons charge.
Macdonald was in front of all three of the province's provincial court judges in back-to-back appearances on the new charges Monday.
He appeared virtually from the provincial jail and told judges Krista MacKay, Jeff Lantz and Nancy Orr that he didn't yet have a lawyer for these new allegations.
'Held accountable' for breaking rules
Documents filed in provincial court say Macdonald breached two of his release conditions on various days and in various places.
The first alleged breached condition was that he was not allowed to own a cellphone, computer or any electronic device capable of storing data, which is typical for people accused of crimes committed through the use of the internet.
The second was that he could not communicate with the alleged victim in his sexual interference case, or any other person under the age of 16.
RCMP's filings claim Macdonald broke that no-contact rule on June 4 in Alberton, June 19 in Mount Herbert and June 20 in Charlottetown.
The documents also cite June 20 as when Macdonald allegedly had the forbidden electronic device and a weapon — a collapsible baton. It's also the day he was arrested.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
"It's important that people under these types of conditions are held accountable for their actions," Cpl. Gavin Moore, the P.E.I. RCMP's media relations officer, told CBC News on Tuesday.
"When serious offences like the originating ones are laid, and an individual is not following the rules, it's important that they are held accountable."
Requested bail hearing
Macdonald told each of the judges Monday that he wanted a bail hearing. That's currently scheduled for later this week, and Macdonald said he will represent himself if he doesn't have a lawyer by then.
Accused people only get one bail hearing, and in Macdonald's case, the onus is on the defence to prove why he should be released. If it's denied, he'll have to stay in jail.
Macdonald's new charges in provincial court will be back before the various judges in the jurisdictions where the crimes allegedly took place in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, while no details have emerged in court about Macdonald's child pornography or child sex abuse allegations, CBC News has learned that Macdonald has had several jobs that put him in close contact with children over the last decade.
A LinkedIn profile says he was an early childhood educator at Tiny Tots Early Learning Centre from 2016 to 2018. A leader within that organization told CBC News it was declining to comment.
Macdonald's online work history also notes that he was a camp counsellor at Oak Acres Children's Foundation.
"Oak Acres is deeply troubled to learn about the allegations regarding a former counsellor. The individual in question started with the camp in 2017 and has not been affiliated with Oak Acres Children's Foundation since 2023, having resigned long before any accusations came to light," an official said by email.
"Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of the communities we serve. We continually review our internal policies and procedures to ensure we maintain the highest standards of integrity and accountability."
The province confirmed to CBC that Macdonald had worked there too.
"The individual was employed by the Department of Social Development and Seniors as a youth worker. The individual has been formally terminated and has not been working with the Department since November 2024 for reasons unrelated to these charges," a spokesperson wrote in a statement.
"These charges are not related to the individual's employment with the Department. The Department was made aware of the charges by the RCMP and is cooperating fully with the investigation."
Macdonald's Supreme Court case will be called again in August.
He has not yet entered pleas but at an appearance on June 10, the court heard the Crown and Macdonald's lawyer in that case are in ongoing talks.
The defence said its current intention is to enter not-guilty pleas to at least some of the charges.
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